Cookie Before Dinner

You are in the middle of cooking dinner for your family and your child walks into the kitchen and says "Mom, can I have a cookie?". Your response is likely to be "No". This irritates your child and the conflict starts.

Child: "Why not?"

Mom: "Because dinner will be ready in a few minutes"

Child: "But Mommmm, I am really hungry right now"

And if you have been here, you know how this plays out.

Barbara Coloroso asks you to think about what you really mean. You do not want your child to have a cookie before dinner, because it will spoil his/her appetite. So, instead of saying no to you child (we already say no to them too many times), try responding with "Yes, you can have a cookie after dinner".

People in general do not like to be told "no" and children hear "no" too often. So, why not say what you mean û because as parent we don't always mean "no" when we say "no", we mean "no, not now" û so instead, why not we say "yes, you can have _________ when _________.(fill in the blanks)"

This little tip of changing the no to yes, followed by when the request can be met has worked wonders for me. I still use it today. I hope it works for you!!!